Resource: Fact Sheet

Guide to Facilitating Dialogues

Contact: Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, University of Missouri, diversity@missouri.edu

Description: Dialogue facilitators do not need to be experts on the topic being discussed. Good facilitators help establish a safe environment where participants can discuss complex and often emotionally-charged issues. Facilitators also help participants understand that the dialogue is a learning experience and not a forum for participants to voice their opinions without listening to others. This short fact sheet provides some initial thoughts to guide a facilitator.

This is a national Cooperative Extension resource

This work is supported by New Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no. 2015-41595-24254 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.